Buried Deep Inside
by Shibbtess
Summary: Raoul becomes mysteriously ill and only one person can help cure him. [movie based]
1. Sickness

Summary: Christine is upset because something is wrong with Raoul, and the most unlikely person is the only one who can help. Many twists along the way. movie based

_Author's Notes: I have not read any The Phantom of the Opera books. I want to but I don't have them at the moment and I have too much reading for school. So this story is based off the wonderful movie. Also I am not a physician so any soon-to-be doctors out there please cut me a break. Enjoy the story!_

Buried Deep Inside

Chapter One: Sickness

The snow fell gently onto the ground and covering the country cottage just outside Paris. It is a lovely two story house painted in a light blue color almost like the sky. The front of the house looked upon a clearing while at the back of the house sat a quiet forest. It is a very peaceful environment where nothing exciting happened. It was all quite perfect like a fairy tale. If only what was happening inside the house was a fairy tale.

Emerging from the back of the house was Christine Daae. Her appearance hadn't changed from a year earlier from when she was singing at the Opera Populaire. She still had the long curly brown hair that now hung loosely around her shoulders. She wore a pale pink dress around her small frame. Yes, Christine Daae looked very much like the last day she left the Opera Populaire except she was no longer smiling. Her happiness had disappeared. As she sat on a tree stump, tears flowed down her cheeks. Soon she was openly sobbing. She had held it back inside the house, but now she could not hold her emotions in any longer.

Unknown to the crying Christine, someone was watching her from the shelter of the trees. The man watched her with concern and covering about half of his face was a white mask. Yes, it was the Phantom of the Opera otherwise known as Erik, who had terrorized the opera house up until a year ago. Now Erik simply wandered from city to city selling his magnificent operas to various theatres. Whenever he stopped in Paris he would stop to see Christine. She wouldn't see him of course, but Erik had to check to make sure she was happy and well taken care of by Raoul de Chagny. Last time he had visited had been five months ago. Christine and Raoul were not home when he arrived so he waited till the dark hours of night when their carriage had returned home. The couple emerged from the carriage smiling brightly at each other. Christine had her arm wrapped around Raoul's. They appeared to be very much in love. As much as Erik wanted to be the man Christine hung onto, her heart did not love him and he couldn't force her to love him. He learned that when Christine kissed him a year ago in his lair under the Opera Populaire. He did realize that he did want her to be happy even if it wasn't him by her side.

As Erik continued to watch her, his curiosity grew. He wanted to know what was ailing her. He needed to know. It was causing him pain to watch the woman he loved crying her eyes out.

_Wandering child so lost, so helpless, yearning for my guidance. _

Christine lifted her head. Her red, puffy eyes peered around looking for the voice she knew so well. She had never imagined that she would hear it again. Confirming that the voice wasn't purely imagination, walking out of the forest towards her was Erik. She wasn't sure how to feel. Frightened? Shocked? Amazed? So she simply watched Erik approach her. He stopped within a few feet of her.

"Why are you here?" Christine finally spoke up wiping the tears from her eyes. Her voice wavered slightly from sobbing but she was quickly gaining composure.

"Am I not still your Angel of Music?" Erik answered.

"Please do not play games with me Erik. I cannot handle them right now."

While looking at her, Erik knew she was right. She looked so weak and tired. He decided he would get to the point. "I heard you crying and had to inquire why."

"You do not need to worry about me Erik. I made my choice a year ago," she looked down away from him. That night down in the phantom's lair seemed so long ago but yet the memory was still clear in her mind.

"That does not mean I have stopped caring about you. You showed me how to love that night," Erik referred to the kiss Christine had given him. "I have not stopped loving you but I am not here to take you away. I wish for you to be happy and it is obvious you are not."

Christine sighed. "I am sorry Erik. I do not mean to be rude and you are right of course." She felt tears entering her eyes again. Erik took a couple of steps towards her but suddenly decided against going any closer. He didn't want to scare off Christine by coming too close. "It's Raoul." She couldn't hold back the sobs.

With those two words many scenarios entered Erik's mind. He thought of Raoul mistreating Christine by neglecting her by leaving her alone for long periods of time or by being a controlling husband. Anger started flowing through his veins. Christine sensed this.

"It's not like that Erik," Christine assured him. "Raoul is sick. The doctors don't know what's wrong with him. Three different doctors have examined him and they cannot find out what the sickness is. I fear he's dying. I don't think I can watch him die Erik."

This was not what Erik had been expecting. He knew Raoul was in good health. He had crossed blades with him not long ago and had been beaten. Erik found something about the situation unsettling but then again, when had anything in his life made perfect sense?

"Would you permit me to see him?" Erik requested.

Hope entered Christine's brown eyes. "Do you think you could help?"

"I cannot say until I have seen him. I am not a physician but maybe there is something they may have missed."

Christine nodded smiling slightly. The small smile brought a bit of happiness to the former phantom. He followed Christine into the house and to the second floor into the young couple's bedroom. Erik felt a bit odd being in there and now was questioning why he had requested to help Raoul. If Raoul died, then maybe Christine would come to him once again. There was a new part of Erik that Christine had brought out in that kiss. Humanity.

Upon seeing the young man lying so ill did make his heart sink. Raoul laid on the bed with his eyes closed. His face glistened with sweat and his cheeks were flushed. Even under the covers, he could tell that the Vicomte was thinner. Erik slowly walked over to the side of the bed. He was reluctant to touch Raoul. It looked as though the man was about to break. Gently he took the Raoul's hand. It was cold. Erik quickly felt Raoul's forehead to find him burning up with fever. It appeared to be the flu or some common illness, but Erik knew there had to be something else going on to baffle the doctors. "What's the mystery?"

Christine walked over and turned over Raoul's wrist and pulled up his sleeve. His veins were dark and swollen running down his arm. "He won't eat or drink anything either. At first he was vomiting for hours. He's finally stopped but his stomach can't seem to handle anything."

It all confused Erik. He would have diagnosed Raoul with an extreme case of influenza but Raoul's veins disturbed him. It was unusual to say the least. The more he stared at the veins, he started to remember that he had seen something like Raoul's illness before.


	2. Little Bottle of Death

_Author's Notes: I know this took me a long time to update. Darn school…Thanks for being patient. I would like to say again I'm not a doctor and neither is Erik. I only have a vague understanding of medicine. So if it's not all accurate, that's ok because this is fiction. I would also like to thank everyone who reviewed on the first chapter. I appreciate the feedback whether it's good or bad. I'm always looking for ways to improve my writing. So here is Chapter 2. Enjoy!_

Buried Deep Inside

Chapter 2: Little Bottle of Death

The light of the moon gazed down onto the prone form of Raoul. He was beginning to move fitfully in his feverish state. He murmured words that were impossible to make out.

Erik watched from his chair in the corner. He sat in the shadows with his arms crossed over his chest. He was tired from traveling and now watching Christine's husband. Christine herself was sleeping in a guest bedroom. Erik had to command her to get rest for she was reluctant to leave Raoul. Erik assured her he would watch the young man.

While Christine slept, Erik decided to try some healing methods. First, he made sure the Vicomte got enough fluids throughout the night. He also decided to try bleeding Raoul. He didn't let a lot of blood escape Raoul for it looked like he needed all the blood he could get. In theory, if there is something bad in his blood, by removing some of the blood, he should show signs of improvement. Indeed, Raoul was improving for now he was beginning to move and talk.

"Christine," muttered Raoul. When he did not get a reply, he spoke louder. "Christine."

Erik got up from his seat and approached the sick man. Raoul's eyes were still closed but Erik knew he could hear him. "She has retired for the night."

Upon hearing the voice, Raoul willed his eyes open. A weak expression of shock spread across his face. "You," was all Raoul could mutter.

"Yes it is me," Erik responded simply. He noticed Raoul became tense and rigid as if waiting for Erik to strike him. Erik sighed knowing it would take much convincing to prove to the young Vicomte that his intentions were good.

"Why are you here?" stammered Raoul.

"I'm here to help you. To cure you of your illness."

"I don't believe you. You tried to kill me before to get Christine. Now you're here to do it again!" Raoul's eyes went wild and he desperately tired to get himself into a sitting position.

"I'm afraid your fever has created incorrect delusions in your head. Someone has already tried to kill you." Erik picked up Raoul's arm revealing his veins still bulging from his arm. "You've been poisoned."

Raoul pulled his arm away and stared at his arm intently. "How?" He said in disbelief and looked up at the phantom. "Did you?"

"Sorry to disappoint you, but I did not." Erik brought his chair next to the bed and sat down.

Raoul began to relax once he saw Erik sitting down and not likely to kill him. As his adrenaline slowed down, his eyes started to glaze again. It appeared that he was about to pass out but he kept his eyes open. "All I've been seeing over and over in my mind is that day back when the chandelier fell. I am tied helpless to the gate with a noose around my neck. Christine walks towards you and I know what she's about to do. She's about to spare my life. Then she kisses you, but instead of freeing her, you hold her to her promise. You take her away. I'm standing there screaming but no sound seems to come. I search for her but I cannot find her anywhere. And then, I am standing in complete darkness unable to do anything. I cannot find her. I cannot save her."

Erik stared at Raoul as he spoke. He could tell the young man was wearing himself out and had sweat starting to run down his face. He also realized that Raoul was aimlessly rambling for he would never reveal such personal information to his enemy. It was only a matter of time before Raoul slipped into the darkness of his nightmares again.

"What were you doing before you fell ill?" Erik asked.

Raoul wearily turned his head to Erik. His eyes were glazing over. "Christine and I visited the new opera house." Erik knew of the new opera house that was to replace the Opera Populaire. "We met the new staff. Madam Giry and her daughter have moved there. Carlotta is singing there now."

_That is definitely poison_, thought Erik. "Who came to the cottage?"

"Meg," Raoul closed his eyes briefly trying to concentrate. Sleep was pressing on him heavily. "Madam Giry."

"Any servants?"

Raoul shook his head. "Not recently."

Erik rubbed his forehead. He suspected someone had slipped Raoul poison here at the cottage. If the culprit was smart enough they could have given a slow working poison at the opera house. It was all becoming too complicated. Who would want to poison the Vicomte and why would they want to? What was to be gained by Raoul's death? Many more questions and scenarios flooded Erik's mind. When he looked up again, Raoul had fallen asleep. The only chance to save Raoul was to find an antidote and he knew of one place in Paris where he could find it.

Quickly Erik got up to leave. He was sure the Vicomte would survive the night without him watching him sleep. As he went to leave, he passed by the guest bedroom. The door was opened slightly. Gazing inside he saw Christine sleeping. He couldn't help but think how beautiful she was. Even though she was sleeping, Erik could tell her mind was filled with troubled thoughts. No doubt she was dreaming of Raoul and the worst possible outcome. Erik wanted nothing more than to comfort her in his arms. He knew that wasn't possible. He would only scare her away. Right now Erik was grateful to be as close to her as he was today.

He turned away from the sleeping Christine and left her a note telling her he'd be back with a cure for Raoul. With that he left the cottage and entered the cold winter air.


End file.
